Tufted fringe product

ABSTRACT

A tufted fringe product and a process of making the same, including an elongated flexible tape member through which a plurality of yarns are stitched to form longitudinally spaced fringe tufts projecting from one face of the tape member. The fringe tufts may also be stitched flush against the back surface of the tape so that the fringe tufts will project widthwise beyond the edge of the tape member. One or more knitted chain strands may be formed longitudinally parallel to and spaced from the tape member and interlooping the fringe tufts.

United States Paten 1191 Passons et al.

[ June 17, 1975 A tufted fringe product and a process of making the same, including an elongated flexible tape member through which a plurality of yarns are stitched to form longitudinally spaced fringe tufts projecting from one The fringe tufts may also be stitched flush against the back surface of the tape so that the fringe tufts will project widthwise beyond the edge of the tape One or more knitted chain strands may be formed longitudinally parallel to and spaced from the tape 6 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures TUFTED FRINGE PRODUCT [76] Inventors: William Erby'Passons, 1805 Verona Pr'mary E'mmmer ll l' Hunter Ave. Chattanooga Tenn 37421; Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Harrington A. Lackey Joseph Lewis Card, 1515 Edgewater Cir., Chattanooga. Tenn. 37406 [571 ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Mar. 18, 1974 [21] Appl. No.1 452,288

. face of the tape member. [52] US. Cl. 112/409; 28/2; 139/385 [51] Int. Cl. B32B 7/08 [58] Field of Search 112/409, 402, 400; 28/1 R, 28/2; 139/385, 118

member.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I 1 470 09? 10/1923 Neff 112/409 member and mterloopmg the frmge tufts 2,222,944 ll/l940 Genson 112/409 TUFTED FRINGE PRODUCT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION July 16, I968 forFRINGETUFTING MACHINE a fringe product is produced in which the web or tape material is woven about the fringe yarns as the fringe yarns are formed by a tufting process, so that the fringe yarns are integrally formed in the woven web material and project from one edge of the web material.

Before fringe products were made In accordance with applicants prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,392,755, fringes were formed in woven textile material as an integral part thereof by extending the filling yarn beyond the edge of the material and cutting the free extremities of the filling yarn.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a product and a process for tufting discrete yarns through a pre-formed tape member.

A fringe product made in accordance with this invention comprises fringe yarns which are stitched longitudinally of the tape member and through the thickness of the tape member so that the fringe yarns project from the back surface of the tape member. If the fringe tufts do not lie by gravity flush against the back surface of the tape member when in a vertical position, then, in a preferred form of the invention, a thread is stitched the length of the tape member and over the fringe tufts to hold the fringe tufts flush against the back surface of the tape member.

It is also preferred to stitch a plurality of yarns through the tape member simultaneously, in order to provide multiple strands in the fringe tufts for a more decorative effect. The back stitches connecting the multiple yarns on the face surface of the tape member also provide a very desirable decorative effect.

The invention further contemplates the knitting of one or more chain strands parallel to the tape member and interlooping or interknotting the depending fringe strands, not only for a decorative effect, but also to hold the fringe strands in spaced relation to each other.

The fringe strands are also preferably cut to provide more fullness in and between the fringe tufts, also for a more decorative effect.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a tufted fringe product made in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the fringe product disclosed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of a modified form of fringe product;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a second modified form of the fringe product;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of one form of apparatus for carrying out the process;

FIG. 7 is a front end elevation of the apparatus in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation of the feed path of the tape member upon which the fringe product is formed; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan sectional view, illustrating the walking movement of the tufting needle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, one form of tufted fringe product 10 made in accordance with this invention includes an elongated prefabricated flexible tape member 11 having a face surface 12 and a back surface 13. As disclosed in the drawings, the tape member 11 is a relatively narrow pre-woven fabric of any desired length. The tape member 11 also has a top edge 14 and a bottom edge 15.

Projecting'from the back surface 13 are a plurality of longitudinally spaced fringe tufts 17, preferably formed of a plurality of stitched yarn loops which have been cut to form the cut pile ends 18 of a first set of yarn strands l9 and a second set of yarn strands 20.

As best disclosed in FIG. 1, the first set of strands 19 of a pair of adjacent fringe tufts 17 project through the thickness, ordepthwise, of the tape member 11. The strands 19 are integrally joined to, or form part of, a first back stitch 21 extending longitudinally across the face surface 12. In the same manner, adjacent strands 20 of a pair of fringe tufts 17 project through the tape member 11 to integrally form a second back stitch 22 along the face surface 12. Thus, back stitches 21 and 22 alternate in a longitudinally aligned row along the face surface 12 of the tape member 11.

When the tape member 11 is disposed vertically, that is with the widthwise dimension of the tape member 11 disposed in a substantially vertical plane, the strands l9 and 20 of the fringe tufts 18 are normally heavy enough to depend substantially vertically below the bottom edge 15, as disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2.

However, if the yarn strands l9 and 20 are relatively stiff or short, or where the tape member 11 may be disposed horizontally, so that the fringe tufts 17 are not disposed substantially parallel to the face 12, as disclosed in FIGSQI and 2, the fringe tufts 17 may be positively held flush against the back surface 13 of the tape member 11 by an elongated stitched thread 24, to form the fringe product 25, as disclosed in FIG. 3. As disclosed in FIG. 3, all of the elements of the fringe product 25 are identical to the fringe product 10 with the exception of the addition of the stitched thread 24, which is preferably chain-stitched through the tape member 11 along the back surface 13 and across the fringe tufts 17. In this manner, all of the fringe tufts 17 project substantially parallel with the widthwise dimension of the tape member 11 and substantially down below the bottom edge 15 of the tape member 11.

In FIG. 4, the fringe product 30 differs from the fringe product 25 of FIG. 3 only in the addition of one or more (two are disclosed in FIG. 4) chain strands 31 and 32. Each chain strand 31 and 32 is preferably knitted from a single strand of yarn to extend substantially longitudinally of and parallel to the tape member 11,

and spaced from the tape member 11 and from each other, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The strands 31 and 32 are knitted so that they interlock or interloop with the strands of the respective fringe tufts 17. In this manner, the chain strands 31 and 32, not only provide a very desirable decorative effect, along with the back stitches chine such as the tufting machine 35 (FIGS. 6 and 7). The tape member 11 is pulled through the machine 35 by the driven pull rolls 36 and 37 in a longitudinal path.

The tape member 11 is initially fed through a springbiased tensioning clamp 38 and guide member 39.to the tufting station 40. As disclosed in FIGS. 6 and 7, the tape member 11 is disposed in a substantially vertical plane as it is fed into and through the tufting station 40.

In the tufting station 40, a tufting needle 41 is reciprocably moved horizontally to stitch the multiple strands of yarn 42 horizontally through the tape member 11. As the tufting needle 41 penetrates the, tape member 11 to its ultimate protracted position, a loop 43 of the multiple yarn stands 42 is formed upon a looper or tufting hook 44.

After the fringe loop 43 is formed, it is fed along the looper 44 with the longitudinal movement of the tape member 11 by one of a plurality of feed slats 45 uniformly spaced around the periphery of an endless chain 46 carried by the sprockets 47 and 48. i As the fringe loops 43 move along the looper 44 to the cutting station 50, each loop 43 is successively cut at the cutting station 50 by a reciprocal knife 51. At this point, the fringe product is completed and pulled through the machine 35 by the pull rolls 36' and 37. After leaving the machine 35, the fringe product is wound, packaged or further treated.

. In order to prepare the fringe product 25 of FIG. 3, the tape memberll may be passed through the same machine 35 in which the same operations are carried out as previously described for producing the fringe product 10. In addition to these process steps, the tape member. 11, after it has mved rearward past the tufting station 40 in which the fringe loop 43 is formed, is preferably turned or twisted approximately 90 by a guide member 53 so that the widthwise dimension of the tape member 11 is now disposed in substantially a horizontal plane. Accordingly, the fringe loops 43 carried on the looper 44 also extendin a horizontal plane and substantially flush against the face of the tape member 11. In

the horizontal position, the tape member 11 movesthrough a stitching station 55 in which a reciprocable sewing needle 56 of a sewing machine, such as a chainstitch machine 57, is caused to stitch a thread 58 longitudinally through the tape member 11. The thread 58 tional step is the feeding of the tape member 11 from the tufting station 40 through a knitting station 60. At the knitting station 60, the chain strands 31 and 32 are formed by the vertically reciprocal knitting needles 61 and 62 operated by the knitting machine 63. As disclosed in FIG. 8, knitting needle 61 is adapted to cooperate with the latch needle 64 mounted on rotary shaft 64 for rotary'reciproc al movement, in a conventional 1 manner to produce chain strand 32. A latch needle similar to the latch needle 64 also cooperates with the knitting needle 62 to form the chain strand 31. The knitting needles 61 and 62 are supplied with knitting yarns 66 and 67.

After the tape member 11 passes rearward from the knitting station 60, it undergoes identical operations at the stitching station 55 and the cutting station 50 as does the tape member in the fringe product 25.

Although the knitting station 60 is disclosed in advance of the stitching station 55, nevertheless, the sequence of these stations is not important, and could be reversed.

In the particular tufting machine 35, since the looper 44 has been mounted in a stationary position, and is elongated and parallel to the longitudinal path of movement of the tape member 11, in order to maintain the fringe loops 43 extended for subsequent operation, the tufting needle 41, in addition to reciprocating along its own axis, must also be mounted to move longitudinally of the feed path of the tape member 1 1 in order to pass the initial fringe loop 43 over the longer 44. Although 'other types of apparatus could be employed for reciprocably moving the tufting needle 41 axially of itself an d'also longitudinally of the feed path, nevertheless one specific form of apparatus is disclosed in FIGS. 6,

"7 and 9.

' The tufting needle 41 is carried by a needle bar 70, axially slidable in bearings 71 on a carrier plate 72. Fixed to the needle bar 70 is a cross link 73 having an elongated slot .74 disposed transversely of the axial path of the needle bar 70. Carried in the slot 74 is a pin 75 mounted on a crank arm 76 rotatably driven by a shaft 77. The shaft 77 is driven through right-angle gear transmission 78, shaft 79 and a belt and pulley transmission 80, gear reducer 81, belt and pulley transmission 82 and motor 83.

The same rotary shaft 77 also drives an eccentric mechanism 85 for reciprocating a rock bar 86 about pivot pin 87. The rock bar 86 causes carrier 72 to roand penetrating the tape member 11, it is also rocking is also stitched across the upper portions oflthefringe I loops 43, in order to hold the fringe loops43 down. against the back surface 13 of the tape member l 1. The

rest of the process for making the fringe. product 25 is the same as for the process of making the fringe product 10. After the product passes the stitching station 55, the fringe loops 43 are cut at cuttingstation50, and the finished product 25 is removed fromthe machine 35 by the puller rolls 36 and 37.

carried out as in making the product 25 throughthe same machine 35, plus an additional step. This addirearward with the tape member 11, while the needle 41 is penetrating the tape member. The rearward movement of the walking needle 41 causes the fringe yarn strands 42.to pass over the looper 44 to form each fringe loop After the needle 41 is retracted from the tapemember, it rocks forward'to assume its next stitching position, as illustrated in FIG. 9.

Themachine 35 is disclosed as utilizing the single motor 83 for driving all of the various moving elements i In making the fringe product 30, the same steps are '37 for intermittent rotary movement through the belt transmissions 90, 9l, shaft 92 and a one-way clutch feed mechanism The motor 83 drives the chainstitch sewing machine 87 through the belt transmission The motor 83 drives the knitting machine63 through the belt transmissions 90, 91, shaft 92, belt 94, shaft 95, belt transmission 96, and drive shaft 97.

The knife 51 is reciprocated by the shaft 95, eccentric 98, link arm 99, crank arm 100 and shaft 101.

The endless chain 46 for moving the feed slats 45 is driven through rotary feed shaft 102, right-angle gear transmission 103, and chain and sprocket transmission 104 from right-angle gear transmission 78.

The fringe product may be made in the disclosed machine 35 by rendering the knitting machine 63 and the chain-stitch machine 57 inoperative. The fringe product may be made in the disclosed machine 35 by rendering only the knitting machine 63 inoperative.

It will also be understood that any number of chain strands, such as 31 or 32, may be used by adding or subtracting knitting needles from the two disclosed knitting needles 61 and 62 on the knitting machine 63. Also, the location of the chain strands 31 and 32 relative to the tape member 11 may be arranged by variant spacing of the knitting needles 61 and 62 transversely of the feed path of the tape member 11. Thus, the chain strand 32 could be spaced further away from the tape member 11 by moving the corresponding knitting needie 61 farther to the left of its disclosed position in FIG. 7.

What is claimed is:

l. A fringe product comprising:

a. an elongated, flexible, pre-formed tape member having substantially flat face and back surfaces on opposite sides of said tape member,

b. a plurality of longitudinally spaced, alternating first and second fringe tufts projecting from the back surface of said tape member,

c. each of said fringe tufts comprising at least one first strand and at least one second strand extending through the thickness of said tape member,

d. a first back stitch extending longitudinally over said face surface and integrally joining said first strands in adjacent fringe tufts,

e. a second back stitch extending longitudinally over said face surface and integrally joining said second strands in adjacent fringe tufts, and

f. said first and second back stitches alternating in longitudinal alignment.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which each of said first and second strands have free ends remote from said corresponding back stitches.

3. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of first strands and a plurality of second strands in each of said fringe tufts.

4. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising an elongated thread stitched longitudinally through said tape member and over said fringe tufts to hold said fringe tufts substantially flush against said back surface.

5. The invention according to claim 4 further comprising at least one elongated knitted chain strand looped around the strands of said yarn tufts and extending parallel to and spaced from said tape member.

6. The invention according to claim 5 in which said elongated knitted chain strand comprises first and second knitted chain strands looped around the strands of said yarn tufts and spaced from each other and said tape member. 

1. A fringe product comprising: a. an elongated, flexible, pre-formed tape member having substantially flat face and back surfaces on opposite sides of said tape member, b. a plurality of longitudinally spaced, alternating first and second fringe tufts projecting from the back surface of said tape member, c. each of said fringe tufTs comprising at least one first strand and at least one second strand extending through the thickness of said tape member, d. a first back stitch extending longitudinally over said face surface and integrally joining said first strands in adjacent fringe tufts, e. a second back stitch extending longitudinally over said face surface and integrally joining said second strands in adjacent fringe tufts, and f. said first and second back stitches alternating in longitudinal alignment.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 in which each of said first and second strands have free ends remote from said corresponding back stitches.
 3. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of first strands and a plurality of second strands in each of said fringe tufts.
 4. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising an elongated thread stitched longitudinally through said tape member and over said fringe tufts to hold said fringe tufts substantially flush against said back surface.
 5. The invention according to claim 4 further comprising at least one elongated knitted chain strand looped around the strands of said yarn tufts and extending parallel to and spaced from said tape member.
 6. The invention according to claim 5 in which said elongated knitted chain strand comprises first and second knitted chain strands looped around the strands of said yarn tufts and spaced from each other and said tape member. 